


The Shielded Tiger

by Meekhayl



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dimiclaude Birthday Week (Fire Emblem), M/M, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25933351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meekhayl/pseuds/Meekhayl
Summary: Dimitri and Claude talking about the stars.Dimiclaude Bday Week Prompt Day 1: Stargazing!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	The Shielded Tiger

**Author's Note:**

> I am a white person trying to imagine a culture that is inspired by a the middle east. Please note that everything from this just comes from my imagination I do not intent to hurt anyone. If by any mean I hurt someone with this please inform me in a respectful way and I will change or remove the part or the whole fic, since it is not my intention to do any harm.

The nights in Almyra where so much darker than these in Fodlan. The sky seemed closer. The stars brighter, the moon even more mysterious. It was like he just had to reach out his hand to touch the soft silk of the night sky.

The wind blew a fresh breath, still carrying some of the warmth the ground had safed during the day. It smelled like sand and spices. Like eternal summer and adventures. He could hear distant laughter and music. At night you could always hear music made by someone. Somewhere always would be danced.

To Dimitri Almyra was magical. All he ever had heard of it, had been the stories from the Alliance nobles who had fought against the fearsome warriors at the borders. Who had stopped these barbarians from entering Fodlan. He had only known they were a nation of warriors, proud and fearsome. But that was almost the same they said about Faerghus. A country so different from Almyra and still the very same roots. But where Faerghus was all freezing and ice, Almyra was merciless heat and sand. Where Faerghus was a stern expression, Almyra was the deep throaty laugh, rough but heartfelt.

And that was what described the Almyrans best. They were proud and stood tall, they worshipped the battle and it's glory, they were admiring skill more then heritage, but they were so full of good humour and always ready to hold a feast. Their culture was bright and outgoing. No deep mystery hidden in the depth of the cold death of snow. They were straight forward and rough.

Not everyone of course. All people were different and just as in Faerghus there were good and bad people. Small and big, broad and thin. But the whole mood was different. It made Dimitri feel lighter. Not so pushed down by all the burdens in his heart. But maybe that was not all due to Almyra alone. Maybe it was due to the person he had traveled here for. The person who never stopped to surprise him. Who always amazed him with his wild grin and the smart green eyes. Who would be scheeming behind everyones back but still had the strongest moral codes of all the people he knew.

Claude, no, Khalid, had been a mystery from the second he had appeared at Garreg Mach, the new found heir to house Riegan. Son of the lost daughter of house Riegan. He would never speak of his parents and his origins. Clear that his father was not a person born in Fodlan and most likely he had grown up in less noble surrounding. Many had speculated that he had been a thief, living on the street coming from poverty to claim a powerful position.

Dimitri had not known what to make of these theories. Yes, he had always something wild about him. Something that called from survival and hardships. But he was not the man to be a thief and he was so smart and educated. He knew so much about certain subjects but so little about others, still fast to hide his shortcomings, sucking in all the infortmation everyone else was providing. He would mingle with all the students. Petra had become close to Khalid. Maybe because people would be more forthcoming with information about Fodlan around her, but maybe he just wanted to feel the closeness to someone that was an outsider herself.

Dimitri had never asked. And he was pretty sure the question would be uncomfortable to his friend.

Friend. It was a strange word and Dimitri didn't know if it still applied to them. Not that they weren't close. Otherwise he never would have gone the whole way to see him in Almyra. He wouldn't have left his kingdom in the hands of his friends. Yes he loved traveling and had always wanted to see new cultures and new places. But Faerghus was too important to leave it just for a nice trip. But when the invitation had reached him, signed with the von Riegan crest, years after they had last met at Derdriu he couldn't stop himself but to agree, to hurry the preparations and travel to Almyra to see this man again.

Failnaught had been empty in his possession. He had always held onto it, even though no one could wield it, especially not Dimitri. He had never been a great archer. The weapon had been a burden to carry around, like all heroes relics. It was like it was whispering to him, like the voices in his head. The voices that had been more silent over the years after the war. But they never completly left him. They still bothered him, kept him awake. But they wouldn't always call for blood and redemption. Sometimes they were guiding him. Or warning him. He had heard his father scream when he had made the travel plans to Almyra, screamed at him not to do it. Not to go to a far away country leaving Faerghus alone. Not to repeat his mistake again.

But Dimitri had not listened even though it had hurt. It had tore him apart to ignore his fathers voice in his heart. But he knew he was just scared and a scared king was a bad king. So he travelled. He would trust his friend one more time.

And when he arrived at Fodlans throat arguing with Holst Goneril that he wanted to pass borders Khalid had been there, riding on a pure white horse with short fur and smaller ears. In his Almyran clothing he had looked foreign to himself. And in that moment Dimitri had just left, let the General of the border defenses stand there without a proper answer and had just began to descand into the valley below Fodlans locket. The place that belonged to no nation. The place his old friend and his entourage waited. He could see Khalid grin over all the distance.

He would have liked to say that his ascent of the mountain towards the valley had been graceful but it wasn't. He had hurried to reach his friend, to see him again. He had thrown away the huge heavy cloak on his shoulders that would serve him nothing in the Almyran heat. He had luck his boots were of good quality or he most likely would have tripped and tasted dust. But he didn't.

When he had made half the way Khalid had kicked the sides of his horse and came to him, leaving the rest of his man behind, just riding to Dimitri. When he was only a few sprints away, he dismounted without stoping the horse and stumbling towards his friend. Both men locked into a close hug. All spectators forgotten. And the air had been full of heavy breathing. Full of something.

They hadn't talked about it. But they both had noticed how it had not been the same as when they last had met in the heat of battle. It was different and it was not the meeting of old friends. It was heavier and lighter at the same time. It was special and sparking. It was like a shiver going down both their spines. Like a pull. It had been intense and soft. It had been the best feeling Dimitri had ever felt and he was sure if no one had been there but them, they would have kissed.

But people had been there and the moment had left by. And they had just talked about the time they had been apart, traveling back to where Khalid lived with his family. For the first time he had just started to share stories about his family, told Dimitri he would meet them, had told him of his siblings and his real name. He was saying all these things like someone may tell a story of a cat they had seen the other day. But they both knew it was something of importance, something deep. And Dimitri had not said anything about it. Not because he didn't dare to, no, just because neither of them needed it to be said.

They just had talked like old friends and it had been perfect.

Now Dimitri had been here for over two weeks and he knew he soon should return to Faerghus before winter could even think of returning there. Before all the roads were blocked and travelling impossible for a long time. He knew that leaving was inevitable and he missed home and his country, his friends and all the things he still wanted to do and for nothing in the world he would trade it away. Not even Khalid's brilliant smile.

So he had gone outside, on his balcony, enjoying the nighteye and watching the sky. Even the stars where a whole lot different. Some of the constellations he knew, but they were all on the wrong place in the sky. The only thing constant was the moon. The moon that looked at all the people in the world in the same way.

"What are you looking at?" a warm voice asked with a slight hint of amusement. Whatever he said sounded like in some way it amused Khalid. Dimitri liked that about him. Like the whole life was something to be happy about. He knew that much of it was a facade but no matter what if you lived a facade long enough it became part of reality. Not the whole being but at least a part.

"The stars." Dimitri answered without looking away. "Do you know the constellations?"

Khalid laughed. "Of course. If you fly by night they are the only thing to navigate by. The most important of them is The Great Tiger. Just there in in the western horizon. For you Fodlan people the upper half of the tiger is the Shield of Fraldarius." Khalid laughed. "When my mom told me that, I always imagined a shielded tiger."

Dimitri laughed too at that imagination. Yeah the shield of Fraldarius was a major constellation in Fodlan too. But to see it as a tiger? Taking in the stars below, he somehow saw it. Another big cat in the sky. Somehow it was a nice thought.

"Then we have the Wyvern tooth just above." Khalid pointed into the air onto a very bright star. "It's always leading home. Or so it says." He smiled fondly.

"Home you say? Doesn't home change some time?"

Khalid laughed. "Yeah. And sometimes home is moving around." He shrugged. "When I was little I always would look up to it and wonder if my home was just upwards, or if I hadn't had a home to begin with. I certainly felt at home here, but the star would not guide me..."

They were silent for a bit. Letting these thoughts linger for a bit.

"But I think I finally understand." Khalid said and Dimitri felt him coming closer, feeling the body heat of him at his shoulder, felt his gaze on him. So Dimitri let go of sky and looked into the eyes of the man who had invited him. Khalid looked at him, like he had looked at the stars. Whistful and with a certain longing. But nothing of that was found in them. "Sometimes home is a person." His voice was a mere whisper, spoken just between them.

Dimitri didn't know what he should say, so he just stood silent. He bowed his head down, so their foreheads touched. Dimitri closed his eyes and sighed. It was like in the touch of their heads their thoughts mingled and understanding formed between them, both filled with the same sense of contentment and longing for it to be like this forever facing the end of it already. For a second Dimitri really thought of abandoning his kingdom, to come here and live a life in this magical country, being around Khalid and his family. He know he would be happy. But he couldn't sacrifice a whole kingdom for his personal happiness. He was not such a man.

"When will you leave?" Khalid asked, still holding contact with Dimitri, reaching for his hand. His skin was so warm. So full of comfort.

"To soon, I fear. A couple of days at best."

And Khalid hugged him close. All the words unspoken hanging in the air. All the unspoken truths on their shoulders. But both of them knew that it would get only harder if they spoke about it. About this what cannot be. They would always be friends. But the opportunity to be more was long gone. And it was okay. They would watch the stars at night, the shielded Tiger, and think of this very moment of happiness with fondness in their hearts all their life.


End file.
